"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 1)
Who are these performers and what motivates them? Are they professional entertainers, simply fun-loving fans with varying degrees of musical talent, overweight and psychologically challenged individuals or a hybrid of all these? What follows is a guide to the world of the Elvis impersonator, its different levels and an explanation of why there is ongoing fascination with the phenomenon. It is clear looking at all aspects of the phenomenon that it is one that should not be dismissed lightly. The Impersonator (Pyramid) Nomenclature There are essentially four categories in the Elvis impersonator pyramid chain:
Level 4 - Full-Time Professionals: In the top echelon are those impersonators who make a full-time living out of being Elvis…on stage. They are consummate professionals whose performances are of a very high caliber and they can travel the world performing in venues as diverse as casino showrooms and large club auditoriums. They are backed by first rate musicians and dancers and have a management team capable of arranging meaningful public relations for and marketing of their act. The performers at the top command thousands of dollars a performance - those performing in Vegas reportedly earn up to $100,000 a week! Essential elements for performers in this top bracket are that they 'look' and 'sound' like Elvis, offer a disciplined, honed display of his on-stage physical movements and that they establish a strong rapport with the audience. They have style! Most of the top impersonators earn considerable amounts through corporate appearances and cruise holidays as the 'star' entertainment. Effectively, they make you believe you are watching Elvis! Characteristically, off-stage they are themselves. Many, like Max (Elvis to the Max) Pellicano, are trained actors and singers, and like Pellicano again, a number have also been fortunate to 'cut-their-teeth' working as Elvis in the famous 'Legends in Concert' revue in the USA. The number of 'career' impersonators in the rarified atmosphere at the top is small. Apart from Pellicano, the current group includes Michael Hoover, Rick Saucedo, Rick Marino, Doug (The Voice of Elvis) Church, Trent (the Dream King) Carlini, Mexico's El-Vez, Steve Williams, Scott Bruce (the Young King) and a recent Elvis in the 'Legends in Concert' revue, James Lowery. The thing about the top echelon of impersonators is that because they are really good they have longevity. Performers like Max Pellicano, El-Vez and Rick Marino have been doing their shows successfully now for up to 20 years. Many of the leading impersonators arrange to record and/or appear with Elvis' backing musicians. James Burton, Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, J.D. Sumner, The Sweet Inspirations and The Jordanaires have all backed a number of prominent Elvii. In past years, the level 4 'trailblazers' included Larry (Big El) Seth, Elvis Wade (Cummings), Jimmy ('the masked man' Orion) Ellis and in Australia, Eddie Youngblood, Norm Bakker and Roy Hawkins. The three USA based performers, in particular, had very successful careers for many years. Level 3 - Part-Time Professionals: On the next level is hundreds of 'part-time' Elvii who perform in smaller venues whenever they can obtain a booking. They are usually aren't as professional as those in the top echelon and tend more to being overweight and therefore more symbolic of the 'cheeseburger' iconic Elvis. They often build up loyal followings in their local area or region but lack effective management backing. Some perform non-Elvis shows to supplement their income.
In the US, some of the more talented performers are Irv Cass, Steve Sogura, Robert Washington, Quentin Flagg (50s Elvis), Matt King, Mike Albert, Elvis Jr, Travis McCall, Kid Elvis, Scott Douglas, Mike Moat, James L Wages (Sincerely Elvis) and E. Kerry Summers while in Australia the names include Dean Vegas, Vince Gelonese, Joe Bikic and Mark (Elvis to the Mark) Andrew. Many of the performers on the top two rungs of the pyramid have their own fan clubs and often 'local' Elvis fan clubs adopt them as the 'live' Elvis artist to follow, support and promote. Unlike the top bracket of performers who can sustain a full-time living from their profession, level 2 performers usually work a regular job or supplement their income in other ways. Level 2 - Recreational Performers (the Wanna-Be's): On the second bottom rung of the pyramid are what can be termed the 'recreational' impersonators or as they are often referred to, disparagingly, the 'wanna-be's'. While they may aspire to achieve regular success at 'being' Elvis on stage they are more likely to only work on the odd Friday night or weekend. They put little time into perfecting their craft and do it more for fun than for the money. They are more likely to be members of the National Association of Amateur Elvis Impersonators. A mix of level 2 and level 3 performers supplement their performance income by appearing at conventions, fairs, nursing homes and singing birthday telegrams. Level 1 - the Elvisoid: On the bottom level of the pyramid are the interesting group referred to as 'Elvisoid's. An Elvisoid is someone who dresses up as Elvis, either in flashy 50s clothing or a white jumpsuit but doesn't perform. They espouse the long sideburns, trademark sunglasses and the 'quiffed' black hair (often a cheaply made black wig rather than the expensive, custom made, human hair wigs costing up to $1,000.00 that are favored by those in the top echelon who lack the right hirsute qualities). Most Elvisoid's can't sing but they appear regularly at karaoke nights, during Elvis Week (witness how many 'ordinary' fans had their resplendent jumpsuited image appear in newspapers and on television in August 2002), at other Elvis events such as the Annual Elvis Parade in Kansas City, (at music shows in their local area and carnivals. They are categorised as 'look-a-likes' rather than 'sound-a-likes' and as such compete in Elvis 'look-a-like' competitions. They are a 'wanna-be' variant. There would be a worthwhile psychological study of Elvisoids. Are they trying to assume a degree of power or recognition by looking like Elvis, in effect living (leaving?) their life (or fantasy) vicariously through the guise of their hero? Feelings about Elvisoid's can run high, as reflected in this passage from (Professor) William McCranor Henderson's book, 'i, Elvis: Confessions of a Counterfeit King': "I spotted a tall, red-suited, rhinestoned Elvisoid, standing outside the darkened car museum. I had seen him before at Graceland, exactly as he was now. Apparently this was his peculiarity - to dress and stand around Graceland, a wanna-be. He was a fake - a nonperforming impersonator impersonating a genuine impersonator. It was this kind of psycho, I thought, and those like him, who give Elvis impersonators a bad name." The Impersonator Issues: There are a number of issues Elvii may have to struggle with. Two of these are: To Be or Not To Be?: Elvii generally fall into two camps: those who know their 'real' identity and those who take themselves too seriously. This latter group tends to "act" as Elvis even when off-stage (ie. they have serious identity issues). The Elvis impersonator's creed disavows taking yourself too seriously. The problem protagonists are more likely to fall within levels 1, 2 and 3 of the impersonator pyramid with the full-time professionals appearing to be more balanced in their approach to their career.
Impersonator or Tribute Artist?: These days many performers with an Elvis show prefer to be referred to as a 'tribute artist' rather than as an 'impersonator'. The intent appears to be to distance themselves from the more derogatory associations held by the public about impersonators and imply a higher degree of professionalism. A number of the Elvis Performer Associations have deliberately adopted the tribute artist classification with this in mind. However, certain impersonators, including Rick Marino, president of The International Elvis Presley Impersonators Association, argue that if you do Elvis, the bottom line is you are an impersonator. Rick emphatically states in 'I, Elvis: Confessions of a Counterfeit King': "I - am - an - Elvis - impersonator. Okay? And I'm PROUD of it. I'm not ashamed of it…A lot of guys have a problem with that word: we're Elvis performers, we're Elvis entertainers, illusionists, invokers, whatever - Well, you know what? You're an Elvis impersonator." So are there any performers who are tribute artists rather than impersonators? Ronnie McDowell requires special mention. Like Mick Gerace in Australia, he provides a tribute show to Elvis. Ronnie does not dress nor attempt to look like The King but his uncanny vocal resemblance has thrilled audiences since the 1970s when he provided the vocals for the excellent bio-film, 'Elvis' starring Kurt Russell. Similarly, Mick Gerace does not dress entirely like Elvis, although his black leather outfit is very reminiscent of Elvis' 68 Comeback attire and his white suit resembles the one Elvis wore in closing the 68 Special. There is also an iconic physical resemblance between Mick and Elvis. Another performer who sings just like The King and is in this 'fuzzy' territory, is Belfast postman, James Brown. Brown's debut album in 1999, 'The King - Gravelands' is widely regarded, along with the Ronnie McDowell (with Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana and The Jordanaires) album, 'A Tribute to the King', as one of the finest tributes yet to Elvis with its eclectic mix of contemporary and classic songs done with a voice very similar to The King's. It would be remiss of me if I didn't mention another form of tribute, albeit one external to the Elvis impersonator/tribute movement. It relates to the personification of Elvis in other well-known musical artists. As noted by George Plasketes, major examples include Chris Issaak, Bruce Springsteen and k.d. lang. Each of these has drawn both musical and iconic influences from The King - from vocal stylings and musical performance style to hair and clothing. The Road to Impersonator Success: There are several prominent Elvis Impersonator competitions held each year. The two most well known are 'Images of The King' (aka [Worldwide] Images of Elvis) that reaches its peak, following regional eliminations, during Elvis Week in Memphis, and the competition held during the Annual Elvis Festival in Collingwood, Ontario (Canada). The winners of these contests find immediate short-term success as doors open but without good management and promotion, medium and long-term success are not assured. A newer contest started last year at the Isle of Capri Casino in Mississippi, while in Australia the Annual Elvis Festival in Parkes, NSW features 'sound-a-like' and 'look-a-like contests'. The Memphis contest tends to be a more conservative affair while the Canadian one is progressive - in 2001 it introduced different competition divisions: professional, non-professional and youth. Contest judges are often hated, particularly by losing contestants and over-zealous fans who have their personal favorites. To be a good judge one needs to have spent a long time studying The King. Elements to be looked for in the contestants include visual image, vocal range and strength, quality of costume, physical movement, posture, rapport with the audience and ability to have fun on stage. The winners of the longest running contest, 'Images of the King', have been:
The Collingwood, Ontario Elvis Festival celebrated its sixth anniversary in 2002. Past winners in its Elvis Impersonation Contest are:
Rick Marino, one of the leading impersonators in the US, has an interesting take on impersonator contests: "Contests are too weird…I don't have anything to do with 'em anymore…So this dumb contest was full of wanna-be's, guys with spray-painted suits, lip-synchers." Generally, performers in the top echelon do not appear in the contests. They have no need to, having already established their credibility and market presence.
And not just one, but two, three, four and more depending on how successful (and ) the performer is. Popular costumes are Elvis' Aloha jumpsuit, the Peacock suit, black leather outfit and the colored jumpsuits like the 'Burning Love' suit and his black jumpsuit. Even 'Elvisoids' invest in jumpsuits yet they are most likely never to appear live except at karaoke nights. BK Enterprises in the US makes a respectable living out of servicing the needs of wanna-be and established Elvis impersonators. The Movements: Elvis' performing style was an integral part of his appeal and presence. Not surprisingly then, to be a successful impersonator requires that a person practice, learn and perfect a range of 'Elvis' movements. And it would be foolhardy to believe that it easy to perfect these moves. The 'science' of performing Elvis involves a vast array of different 'moves' and 'poses' including: the lasso the squat the blind man's rock glass on palm arm-fling cut-off bowling cutoff open-handed punch cutoff air guitar fist pump shakey leg body palsey backhanded throwaway The top bracket of performers spend countless hours watching and re-watching seminal tapes of Elvis in action, from the 1950s television appearances to Elvis: That's The Way It Is. The performers in the top echelon have achieved a high degree of integration of all these factors. The concluding part of this article will appear in our next edition of the Spotlight on the King series. In it we will examine the 'equal opportunity' nature of the industry, the impersonator associations, the Elvis impersonator legacy and attempt to answer the question: why Elvis? This edition of Spotlight on the King was prepared by Nigel Patterson, © 2002 |
